A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF SODIUM SACCHARIN IN NBR RATS AND IN INTACT AND CASTRATED MALE F344 RATS

High doses of sodium saccharin (NaSac) increase proliferation in the b ladder of the rat, with a male preponderance. The possibility that alp ha(2u)-globulin is involved in its mechanism of action was evaluated b y feeding it at 7.5% of the diet to NCI-Black-Reiter (NBR) male rats, which do not synthesize liver-derived alpha(2u)-globulin. NaSac affect ed urinary parameters similarly in F344 and NBR male rats, but NBR rat s consumed more water leading to greater urinary volume. NaSac produce d less proliferation in NBR than in intact F344 rats, with intermediat e changes in castrated F344 males, which had intermediate urinary alph a(2u)-globulin levels.